Now that we’ve entered the third quarter of 2017 you might be feeling overwhelmed by the fact that not all your New Year resolutions were successfully completed. If you couldn’t fulfill the promise to yourself to read more books, there is still a chance to change that. You don’t need to read long business books to get inspired, sometimes couple of hours are just enough.
Here is a list of five short yet brilliant business books that you can read in an afternoon and get a fresh perspective on your business, life as an entrepreneur and the direction you are going with your company.
Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
By Spencer Johnson
In this book, Spencer Johnson tells an engaging story of four characters, who are looking for the things they need in life and their careers (“the cheese”) inside the organizations that they work in (“the maze”). Johnson focuses on the fact that the world is rapidly changing and the only way to survive and get what you want is to embrace the right attitude.
Quotes from the book: “Life moves on and so should we”
“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
“The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese.”
“He knew sometimes some fear can be good. When you are afraid things are going to get worse if you don’t do something, it can prompt you into action. But it is not good when you are afraid that it keeps you from doing anything.”
How to Lie with Statistics
By Darrell Huff
This 150-page book is the perfect afternoon read for entrepreneurs and business-minded people, who want to get a different perspective on statistics and the way it can be used to full people rather inform them.
Quotes from the book: “a difference is a difference only if it makes a difference.”
“IF YOU can’t prove what you want to prove, demonstrate something else and pretend that they are the same thing. In the daze that follows the collision of statistics with the human mind, hardly anybody will notice the difference. The semiattached figure is a device guaranteed to stand you in good stead. It always has.”
“The secret language of statistics, so appealing in a fact-minded culture, is employed to sensationalize, inflate, confuse, and oversimplify.”
The One Minute Manager
By Kenneth H. Blanchard
The One Minute Manager is a short guide for leaders, who want to learn how to communicate more effectively with their employees. In a concise way, the author reveals three secrets that will help all managers and leaders to improve the productivity and job satisfaction within their companies: One Minute Goals, One Minute Praisings, and One Minute Reprimands.
Quotes from the book: “Take a minute: look at your goals, look at your performance, see if your behavior matches your goals.”
“Secret #1: One minute Goal Setting: “People who feel good about themselves produce good results”
“Secret #2: One Minute Praising: “Help People to Reach Their Full Potential. Catch Them Doing Something Right”
Rich Habits – The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals
By Thomas C. Corley
If you are looking for quick motivation, this 92-page book will help you get the boost that you need. After studying the lives of rich and poor people, the author summarizes in this book the significant differences between both, referring to them as “the rich habits” and “the poverty habits”.
Quote from the book: “Summary of the Rich Habits Promises: I WILL form good daily habits and follow these good daily habits each and every day. I WILL set goals for each day, for each month, for each year and for the long-term; I WILL focus on my goals each and every day. I WILL engage in self-improvement each and every day. I WILL devote part of each and every day in caring for my health. I WILL devote part of each and every day to forming lifelong relationships. I WILL live each and every day in a state of moderation. I WILL accomplish my daily tasks each and every day; I will adopt a “DO IT NOW” mindset. I WILL engage in rich thinking each and every day. I WILL save ten percent of my gross income every paycheck. I WILL control my thoughts and emotions each and every day.”
The Richest Man in Babylon
By George S. Clason
This book is one of the classics. It teaches the main principals of building your personal wealth tackling important subjects like why you should pay yourself first, why you should invest in yourself, how to live below your means and many more important lessons.
Quotes from the book: “The hungrier one becomes, the clearer one’s mind works— also the more sensitive one becomes to the odors of food.”
“Advice is one thing that is freely given away, but watches that you only take what is worth having.”
“Proper preparation is the key to our success. Our acts can be no wiser than our thoughts. Our thinking can be no wiser than our understanding.”
